CHIANG MAI – Police quickly caught two foreign tourists early Saturday morning while they were spraying graffiti on a school wall. The late-night incident occurred in the heart of the historic old city area.
Local authorities acted fast after receiving a tip from a helpful citizen who spotted the illegal activity. Officers caught both men directly at the scene with spray cans still in their hands.
Key Takeaways
- Caught Red-Handed: A British citizen and a New Zealander were caught by police while spraying graffiti on a school wall.
- Location of Crime: The incident happened after midnight near the historic Three Kings Monument in central Chiang Mai.
- Legal Penalties: Both men paid a 3,000 baht fine under local cleanliness laws and gave 4,000 baht for school repairs.
According to police reports, the incident occurred at roughly 12:40 AM on Saturday. Senior police officials, including Police Colonel Prachya Tithala, quickly organized a response team after a resident reported the crime.
Patrol officers rushed to the designated school wall located near the famous Three Kings Monument. When police arrived, they discovered two foreign nationals actively painting the public structure.
The responding officers immediately ordered both individuals to drop their spray cans and show their identification documents. Police later identified the suspects as a 32-year-old British citizen and a 27-year-old New Zealand national.
Foreigners Apologize and Pay for Damage
Following the initial questioning, patrol officers took both men directly to the local police station for formal processing. Authorities charged them under the Act on the Maintenance of the Cleanliness and Order of the Country.
This specific legislation strictly bans any public scratching, writing, or spray painting on walls, roads, or buildings. Violating these rules carries immediate financial penalties to ensure city walls remain clean for residents and visitors.
The police handling the case issued a fine of 3,000 baht to each tourist for the vandalism offense. Both men quickly paid their fines at the station and avoided further legal detention by the police.
During their official interviews with investigators, both suspects openly admitted to their bad behavior. They claimed they acted out of reckless fun and did not intend to cause permanent harm.
The two men officially apologized to the community and promised never to vandalize public property in Thailand again. They also agreed to cover all the clean-up costs for the damaged school walls.
The tourists paid an extra 4,000 baht directly to the school administration to fix the defaced fence. Local authorities hope this quick arrest shows that Chiang Mai takes public property protection very seriously.
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